One Man Spent 24 Hours Inside A Virtual Reality Version Of ‘Minecraft’

While virtual reality gaming is a long ways off from reaching widespread market penetration, those who regularly play games in VR tend to adhere to a simple rule: take breaks. While virtual reality has the potential to provide some of the most immersive interactive experiences, many gamers find it difficult to play for long stretches of time. Aside from the increased physical activity that comes with room-scale VR, playing games in virtual reality can be tiring (and nauseating) for some — a consequence of a mismatch between what the player is seeing and what the player’s body thinks is going on, based on the movement of fluids in one’s inner ear.

Regardless of the hurdles that come with lengthy VR gaming sessions, one intrepid YouTuber took it upon himself to push the envelope. As reported by Kotaku, YouTuber Apollow, from the Disrupt YouTube channel, decided to play Minecraft in virtual reality for 24 hours. He documented the experience in a video, explaining what happened to his mind and body after a full day of virtual reality gaming.

Apollow had a few ground rules he stuck by during his 24-hour Minecraft VR binge. The first rule was simple enough — the headset always stays on. He also took meal and sleep breaks, but when doing so, he kept the headset on while choosing to mimic his real-world actions with those in-game. For example, if Apollow wanted to take a two-hour nap in real life, he would also ensure his in-game character was at home and in bed.

It’s worth noting that while Apollow did spend 24 hours in Minecraft, the game’s shorter day and night cycles meant he spent a total of 72 in-game days playing. During his 24-hour session — which he live streamed on Twitch — Apollow took three sleep breaks, with his headset and headphones on the whole time. While he was able to sleep, he instantly regretted building a chicken coop so close to his in-game home, as it made it hard for him to sleep. Oddly enough, Apollow didn’t have much trouble waking up in virtual reality, and he didn’t get sick or queasy while playing, save for when he traveled by boat.

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During his lengthy play session, Apollow managed to reach Minecraft‘s traditional ending — which involves slaying a boss known as the Ender Dragon. To close out his 24-hour stint, he lit some in-game fireworks and watched the digital sunset. After his virtual reality experiment, he explained that “the next few days went so slow.”